Woodward plans transfusion of new blood for summer tours

Clive Woodward offered another batch of young pretenders a World Cup opportunity when he named 15 uncapped players in a 28-man England squad for this month's game against the Barbarians.

Gloucester's utility back Simon Amor, Bristol's open-side Michael Lipman and the Sale hooker Andy Titterrell could all find their careers transformed if they make a decent fist of Sunday week's Twickenham fixture.

Amor has already had a splendid year at the hub of the England Sevens team which again triumphed in Hong Kong and, in Austin Healey's continued absence, could yet find himself recast as a buzzing backline organiser on England's Churchill Cup tour to Canada next month.

Lipman and Titterrell, in contrast, belong to the new breed of pacy young forwards who have impressed in the Zurich Premiership this season and are now being challenged to take the next step up. The 23-year-old Lipman has represented Australia Under-21s but was born in London.

With Gloucester's James Forrester out of contention for three months after wrist surgery last week and Lewis Moody and Alex Sanderson sidelined, there may even be a back-row vacancy on England's main tour to New Zealand and Australia. But Woodward is monitoring several other deserving cases, notably the versatile pair of Martin Corry and Hugh Vyvyan.

The final 22, to be unveiled next Wednesday, will also feature Dan Luger, Kyran Bracken and Mark Regan, who will be required to offer support to the captain Phil Vickery and state their own cases for selection in the senior tour squad to be named the following week.

Woodward also looks set to take Jonny Wilkinson on tour, even though the Newcastle fly-half is due to have scans on his right shoulder over the next few days. Wilkinson, typically, has declared his willingness to face the All Blacks and Wallabies next month.

Ian McGeechan has drafted two uncapped Edinburgh players, the flanker Andrew Dall and centre Simon Webster, into his Scotland squad to tour South Africa next month. The Ireland and Lions prop Paul Wallace is retiring because of ankle problems. Bristol's fly-half Felipe Contepomi is expected to sign for Leinster.